Mary began her journey along the road to perfection
at a height to which other saints only arrive
at the end of a long life of saintliness. God loved
her more at the first moment of her existence than
He loved the holiest among the rest of men at the
time that their earthly pilgrimage was over and
they were ripe for their heavenly reward. What
glory must have been hers even from the beginning!

What was the cause of this special predilection
that God had for this newly-created soul? In
all other children of Adam original sin prevented
the Divine generosity from having a free course.
But Mary was created Immaculate, and therefore
the grace of God streamed into her soul without
check, or hindrance. O happy child, whose sinlessness
received so glorious a recompense!

What is it that checks in us the inflow of God's
supernatural gifts? It is always sin; not so much
sins in the past as sins and imperfections wilfully
admitted in the present. These must be relinquished,
if we desire God to give us good measure of
His grace. We must try and hate sin as Mary hates it,
and we must cry to her:

Hail Mary, ever undefiled!
Hail, Queen of purity!
O make thy children chaste and mild,
And turn their hearts to thee.